


Champions from a Bygone Era

by tadanomarz



Series: Aid from the Past [1]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon-Typical Violence, Crossing Timelines, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Reincarnation, heavy usage of champions gifts' LOL
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-17
Updated: 2019-07-07
Packaged: 2020-05-13 09:52:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19248784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tadanomarz/pseuds/tadanomarz
Summary: Time passes slowly while the Hylian Champion familiarizes himself with the world again. After being rescued from the Blight  Ganons, our Champions receive a visit from their predecessors.





	1. Girl Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mipha recieves some encouragement from one of her ancestors and her fears are put (mostly) to rest.

A century has flown by, the hero has returned, and as foretold shall free his loved ones. He takes his time rescuing those he held dear. Weeks go by without a wink of sleep, because he doesn’t know when the Calamity will break free of the Princess’s hold. So he works hard, venturing across the land of Hyrule to recover the entire map. Once he does, he works his way back to take back the Divine Beasts. One after the other, the servants of the Calamity are vanquished allowing for their respective Champion to hold the reigns once more. It’s only a matter of time until he returns to the belly of the beast, where his nemesis waits, but also where the Princess tirelessly keeps the creature at bay. He isn’t alone in his endeavor, however, each of the Champions gave him an essence of their soul with a unique ability to utilize over his travels.

It thus allows them to watch over him, seeing over his every move. 

* * *

Once again, Mipha returns back to Ruta’s head, the sun only beginning to peak over the horizon. Daybreak had finally come, and the spirit exhales a sigh. She's beginning to lose track of days, the only indicator she knows they pass is because of her spot set atop Ruta. It gives her a good view of the horizon, while she watches the sun and moon cycle. There have been a few Blood Moons thrown into the mix and she prays he's stayed away from enemy camps. She's returned from healing the Hylian Champion again, for the...70th time? He's been in a myriad of accidents, since rescuing her– from the elements to enemies to even cuccos; he's been having it rough lately. 

Her exhaustion is at its peak, she takes her time to recover her strength in order to aid him again. 

“He’s so reckless,” Mipha sighs, now sitting against one of the pillars. Link’s never been one to back down from a fight, he’s always throw himself into messy situations since childhood. “Hopefully today he’ll take better care of himself now.”

After Waterblight Ganon’s defeat, Mipha gave Link a part of her soul, allowing her to not only heal his wounds but to keep tabs on him. One strike of electricity and it claimed his life causing her to hurry to revive him. 

She lightly scolded him, reminding him to pocket his metal weapons before entering into a thunderstorm while taking her leave. He offered her a sheepish smile in response but hurried off to find another shrine as she disappeared.

“Oh _Ruta_ ,” Mipha began, now connecting her sight with Link’s again, watching as he traversed through Faron. “He’s at it...even when I told him not to. I can feel it in my fins, it will thunder again.”

Mipha knows her Divine Beast cannot speak to her, but she liked to think it could. She’s done so before, back when she first was given the privilege to pilot it. Whether it be her laments or promises of hope, they’d stay internalized in its walls. Up until her Sidon and Link opened Ruta up, they’ve shared a lengthy amount of time together. The blue illumination brings her great comfort now, and if Ganon tried again to regain control, she’d be ready.

Earlier, she watched Link dance with her Trident, gracefully piercing a Hinox that previously slumbered atop Faron’s hills. It delights her that she became useful to him. Between her healing magic and her trident, Link would be near impossible to kill if he played his cards right. Link now reached shelter in one of the towers, drenched from head to toe, but safe from the lightning. One by one, Link removed his metal weapons and replaced them with some of the wooden ones he stole.

Mipha exhales a sigh, this time with relief.

“He listened to me, thank goodness,” Mipha smiles a bit, but that changes when she sees one of his metal shields in his arms, her mind’s racing. “What is he going to do?! The lighting– it’s coming back!”

“Worry not, my dear, our Hero’s a _sturdy_ one!”

Whirling around, Mipha jumps from the sudden unfamiliar voice. She holds her breath, glancing around. She hadn’t detected anyone _climb_ Ruta ( besides, who’d try that!?). When she finally faces the sun, a glimmer of green flame emits in front of her. A figure morphs into shape, forming from water. Mipha’s immediately on the defensive, Ruta groans as its gears shift slightly, allowing for the ice particles to form.

The feminine voice begins to giggle.

“Awh, and here I thought we could have some girl talk.”

“Who–”

“You’ve been talking to me the entire time,” The person, no– Zora, comes into shape; Mipha recognizes her finned arms and blue color. The ice blocks disappear in an instance. In ancient times, her people were the same color as the sea, they blended in with the waves. “It’d be better this way to talk about _him,_ right?”

Mipha recalls from Hyrule Castle library that foretold of a Zora Sage who assisted the hero who traveled through time. She had given him the Zora Sapphire to help him in quest, but it also was used in marriage ceremonies. Her eyes grow wide in shock.

“L....Lady Ruto?”

“Bah! Forget about formalities, it matters not now.” The proud princess says, with a wave of her hand. She places a hand onto one of Ruta’s pillars, now grinning. “You were right, _Ruta_ is pretty cute.”

“I’m glad that it pleases you,” Mipha smiles, now joining the older Zora’s side.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t able to talk with you before,” Ruto apologizes, now placing a comforting hand on Mipha’s back. “The Blight’s energy wouldn’t let me enter.”

It’s the first contact Mipha felt in years, being a ghost and all. They both are, yet she can’t help but wonder what she’s doing here.

“May I ask how?” Mipha inquires, looking up toward her starry eyed. “You’ve been gone from this world for a long time now...but how?”

Ruto chuckles, now glancing toward Hyrule Castle. The dark miasma hangs over it like a blanket, coiling around it protectively like a threatened animal. “At first, we didn’t know there was a spirit inside the Master Sword, we thought it was just a blessed weapon by Hylia who defeats all evil.”

“A Spirit?”

“Yes, although she was dormant during our time.” Ruto explains, “after our Hero defeated him, we were given sight of who laid inside. When your princess awoke her powers, _she_ called out toward us–”

Mipha’s brow furrows, “Us?”

Ruto gives her a wink, “I’m not the only Sage whose visiting the Champions.”

“But… why?” Mipha inquires, she’s a little confused on why past sages were called upon.

“We wanted to help our successors,” Ruto confirms with a grin, “and annihilate this stain once and for all. But also… waiting around for him to slay evil takes time, yes? When the Seven Sages came together, we were all in the same room. But you and your comrades are apart, so we’ve come to fight together with you.”

Mipha blushes and looks away. Had it been out of pity that they previously failed? She almost feels ashamed.

“Straighten up now, don’t make that face, Mipha.” Ruto places a hand on her shoulder, “ it doesn't look good on you; as a Sage it is our duty to offer you support. Call it an extra layer of protection from any of Ganon's underhanded tactics. You focus on him, while I'll eliminate any other threats. ”

Mipha looks up to her, offering a tiny smile. “Thank you, Ruto…”

“Now, I cannot see the hero, because I have not tied my soul to his,” Ruto said with a laugh, “but what is he up to now?”

Mipha nods, then connects her sight with Link’s. He’s still in Faron, _it’s still_ thundering, she bites her lip seeing he’s still got one of his silver shields in his arms. He’s approached a few Lizalfros and electricity is sparking off his shield. She knows how it works: the sparkles alerts him of the danger and when she thinks he’ll be a fried cucco , Link throws his shield in the same vicinity of his enemy.

The thunder booms, and in the next few seconds, the lightning plunges into the Earth. He jumps backward, as the Lizalfros scream when being electrocuted. The silly beasts were in a pool of water which caused major damage. In the wake of the thunder, his enemy not only vanished, but some fish were cooked in the process. 

Mipha gasps, causing Ruto to raise a brow. She sees a ghost of a smile on her senior’s lips.

“How’s he doing, Mipha?”

“Just fine,” Mipha smiles up toward her, “looks like he’s gotten more resourceful since last.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i've finally gotten to pick up botw and it resulted in this, since I saw the divine beasts were named after past sages I thought it'd be nice to have a little heart to heart! enjoy! i'm leaving the timeline of when the champions saved a little vague, since everyone may acquire them in a different order.


	2. Sturdy Roots

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daruk and Darunia muse a little about the past and their family bloodlines.

“Daruk’s Protection is ready to roll, little guy!”

Upon his strength returning, he feels a hard pat on his back. Daruk turns to face his ancestor with a wide grin.

“Hopin’ ya can take a breather for now, brother,” his ancestor, Darunia calls, “it hasn’t been five minutes and the kid’s utilized yer shield thrice in a row.”

Daruk shrugs, “Got a small look at his surroundings while there and he’s in an enemy’s camp. He’s got no weapons at the moment, so he pulled a fast one on them.”

“Where’s he at?”

“Uhh, give me a sec, goro.”

Daruk focus on the essence of his soul that he gave Link after rescuing him from the Blight. It doesn’t take long, and he’s connected to Link’s body. Pressure and exhaustion builds onto him like a boulder. His soul feels heavy and he shares the Hylian’s champion labored breath. From the looks of it, Link’s at the very top of an island in southern Hyrule, which is separated by a long distance of sea. _Yikes_ , that’d be a scary trip for him. Rock and water don't mix well.

His soul travels from Link’s body to the slate, flipping through the pages until he locates the map. Upon closer inspection, it appeared all the gear he had vanished. A visible indicator glows on the map, and it appeared to be a shrine.

“ _Little guy, ya doing okay_?” Daruk calls to him, he feels Link’s head raise.

Link hums a low note, replying back telepathically. “ _Managing, albeit barely. I’m doing... okay, I claimed an enemy base so I’ll be able to… relax for a bit_.”

“ _Please do, I can feel the strain from Mipha’s magic just a tad– don’t overexert yourself!_ ”

He hears Link chuckle, while Mipha joins in briefly, scolding him again giving Daruk the cue to exit.

When he joins Darunia again, he watches him staring out toward the sun.

“Little guy’s out doing a shrine quest,” Daruk calls, causing Darunia to turn. “Seems to be some kind of survival quest.”

“That so? He seems like a hardy kid.” Darunia said, now joining him again. “He always been like that?”

“Yep, far as I know, he’s awfully stubborn, he’s got a knack for it, like one of those prodigies.”  

They share a laugh, watching as the sun rise to the middle of the sky. Even though Rudania’s been positioned so high, but the heat from Death Mountain persists. Not that it mattered anymore; they’re both dead.

“Death Mountain feels the same as always,” Darunia muses, “we seem to always have the same problems too, haha.”

“In what way?” Daruk questions, “the same damn heat, or?”

“Oh, well there’s that, but also Death Mountain erupting.” Darunia replies, now rubbing at his beard. “When the kid saved us, we had a dragon causing trouble, causing it to erupt. Also my people were being fed to it. Looks like history is repeating again. First it was the Dodongoes, then it was Volvogia. Rudania looks lizard-like too.”

Daruk smiles, “Well I rather those compared to something with water, it’d be a tragedy if Death Mountain became like Lake Hylia.”

“Ya got that right, Brother!”

It feels like forever until Link calls for him, but he supposes it’s a blessing in disguise. It’s not until nightfall his protection is needed again, the sun barely above the horizon, diving below. When Daruk returns, he stretches out the stiffness of his arms, but Darunia appeared to be nowhere in sight.

“Darunia?” Daruk calls, glancing around, nothing. He transports to another part of Rudania, perhaps another angle would be better? Still nothing. He’s admittedly getting a little nervous until he bumps into him at Rudania’s tail.

“The front gettin’ boring for you brother?” Daruk asks with a laugh, watching the Fire Sage turn.

“Just a bit,” The Goron elder laughs, “but we had some company before.”

Daruk’s expression changes, grim. “One of Ganon’s underlings?”

“Nah,” Darunia said dismissively, “one of our brothers or sisters, goro!”

“Ya get a good look at ‘em?”

Darunia raises his hand above his head, “Kid’s got some curly hair, s’not as hard as some of the Gorons I’ve seen. Also had a blue scarf too, ya know him?”

 _Yunobo,_ Daruka recalls fondly. When Link came to Rudania to fend off the Blight, they were able to talk while he scouted out the terminals.

“ _You have a Grandson,_ ” Link said, who placed the Sheikah Slate onto one of the terminals, rescuing it from control. They had taken a moment to rest, he’s been working nonstop, it was 4 am in the morning. “ _He seemed proud to inherit your protection._ ”

Daruk remembers the kid smiling too, they had caught sight of one another after Rudania’s rescue. He’s thankful his lineage and family were able to be safe after the Calamity struck.

“I do, it was my grandson, Yunobo,” Daruk answers with a hearty laugh. “I had a daughter during the time before the Calamity, so she must’ve had him sometime afterwards.”

“Seems like we have more in common!” Darunia replied with a chuckle, “I had a son, his name was Link.”

“You named him after your Hero?”

“I did, we were brothers, after all, it felt natural to do so!” Darunia replies. “Without him, we wouldn’t have been able to eat all the delicious rocks in Dodongo’s Cavern.”

Daruk’s stomach gurgles instinically at the thought. He wished he could have food again, all these rocks were ripe for picking. “I wonder if they got the same taste, thousands of years later?”

“Wish I could find out, haha!” Darunia replies, “too bad we can’t eat, because I’d have a large dinner right about now!”

They shared a heart filled laugh while the sun rose again, awakening from its slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Shrine Quest in question is the one on the island off the coast of Lurelin Village, where you have to survive in order to get your prize. I need to redo it myself actually haha.


	3. Hidden Shine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Revali's left with more questions than answers, at least, in the beginning.

“ _Champion_ -“

“ **No**.”

“Sir-“

“Now, hatchling, you’re making me feel _old_.” Revali sighs, waving his wing in the air. “ Just Revali is fine.”

Not that he wasn’t old already, it’s been 100 years since his defeat, since his _humiliation._ But he’s been avenged for now; the WindBlight was torn apart by the Hero’s quick work. Yet this predicament is quite vexing; he should be calling her his senior, but Revali had no idea his predecessor was merely a child.

 _I’m a Rito,_ she claimed earlier. It made Revali squawk aloud, she looked Hylian but her arms became wings. Her beak is undeniable too, at first he thought it was a parlor trick and tried to remove it but she was fluid enough to use her divine instrument and flash a beam of light from the sunrise peeking over Death Mountain to blind him. She immediately apologized afterwards, while he begrudgingly did too, puffing up his feathers a bit in a huff.

Once Link saved him, he was linked to the other Champions. There’s a chorus of voices of new and old overlapping, the only silent voice is Link, whose focused at the task at hand. It appeared the other sages could still hear the conversations and contribute, but because they hadn't bestowed any gifts to Link they were unable to aid him directly nor see through his eyes. 

“Very well then.” She concedes with a nod. “If that’s what you wish.”

They’ve been together for the last twenty four hours. Link left Rito Village, going east for something in particular. A Shrine? Something like that, he might have followed after Teba perhaps. Link’s has been spamming his gale while passing over the mountain ranges. His soul feels a tug of urgency ( _again!?)_ – it’s been the _third_ time, _**Goddesses Above**_! Revali sighs, whisked away from his divine beast and to this idiotic hero’s side. Once his gale was complete, he returns back to see his predecessor returning to Medoh’s Head.

“Curious, are you not?” He chirps, his brow raised. “Unfortunately, Medoh is closed because I’ve taken aim.”

“Yes, I’m aware,” she replies back with a hum, lips blossoming into a tiny smile; it's the first he's seen from her. “I just wanted to see how big it was, it’s as large as the Great Valoo.”

“And how is this Valoo, _great?_ ” 

“He's not only our protector, but also the one who has gifted my people their wings at the right age.” The harpist says fondly, “he’s a dragon whose been around for a long time.”

 _A dragon_. Revalli almost chokes, he looks flabbergasted; this seemed like a joke. 

Coincidentally, around this time, their discussion humors the rest of their ragtag group. On one end, he hears a bark of laughter come from those damned Gorons. Daruk sounds pretty amused.

"Ah! So...is that why you're so  _hard_ headed, Revali?" Daruk quips with a chuckle, the conversation gains the attention of Mipha as well. Urbosa and Link seemed to the only busy ones at the moment.

 _Hylia please end me now_ , Revali pleads internally. 

"I can see we've evolved over time," The Rito sage observes, floating around Revali with curiosity. "I wonder what it'd feel like to have a body full of feathers..."

"You'd be fully ready for Winter," Revali clears his throat, trying to change topics, wanting to avoid the jokes at his expense. "In the Tabantha region, especially up north in the Hebra Mountains it's quite cold, always snowing." He scoffs a bit, "You'd be better off with some of the Hylian clothes we provide...was it not cold where you lived?"

She shakes her head. "Not at all, Dragon Roost Island is warm all year round, my people have taken residence on an island that has an active volcano. The Great Valoo sits atop, it's his Roost. Hence the name of our island. My friend–  whose the hero of my realm, informed me there's an island fully consumed in a blizzard though." She pauses, with an afterthought. "I think he got Iron Boots there."

Mipha touches on their connection, interest piqued. "You said... an island correct?"

"Indeed, in contrast to your Hyrule, my home is... a tropical environment. The previous sage and my friend Link informed me Hyrule lies underneath the sea." 

Silence falls onto the group, the only voice to pipe up is Link. It appeared they weren't the only ones who've failed at stopping their evil nemesis.

"Your Hyrule has also fallen?" Link asks quietly. "What happened?"

"That was before my time, a great flood washed Hyrule away to seal Ganon and the people took refuge atop the high mountains that became the Great Sea, my home." She sighs lightly, "it appears the hero skipped a few generations, until my friend took up the mantle as Hero of Winds."

" _Well_ that's a lot to take in!" Daruk adds in, "glad to know you guys were successful afterward."

"Lady Ruto has a question," Mipha said, taking a moment to speak with her own ancestor then returns."What became of the Zora?"

"Aha, well..." The Rito girl started, with a sheepish chuckle, "I'm not sure of what became of them, but I believe we may have descended from the Ancient Zora. The Earth Sage before me, Lady Laruto taught the Hero of my time the melody to awaken me as a Sage. I've met her once after we cleansed the Earth Temple."

More silence rolls by, but instead of it being gravely serious, the group appears to burst into laughter. 

Revali on the other hand, is the only one who isn't amused by the turn of events. Between Dragons and Zoras, he isn't sure what is worse.

"Laruto, huh....such a pretty name," Ruto muses over the telepathic link, she appears to swell with confidence. "I'm highly honored she may have been named after me!"

"Makes me wonder what Revali would look like as a Zora," Mipha giggles, while Daruk's in agreement with her. 

"It makes sense," A smooth voice cuts into the conversation, "that's survival for you."

 _Of course Urbosa returns to the conversation now,_ Revali grumbles to himself a bit. But she appears to be a blessing in disguise, because he feels a tugging again at his soul. He voicelessly thanks the hero, to save him from this hellish conversation. He whips up the gales for the hero again, but looks astonished at what he's doing.

" _Really Link–"_ Revali huffs, brows narrowing a bit watching the hero collapse his paraglider. Looking above, there appeared to be an enemy camp, and his gale strongly blows above. One of Link's bombs was thrown into the center and when high enough, detonates, causing for a Boblokin to explode. " _Am I joke to you too!?_ "

Link shakes his head, but he offers a smile before he warps back. "You've been very helpful, remember," He signs, then goes to demonstrate for him, "deep breaths."

Revali lets out a exasperated sigh before departing again.

* * *

The group has quietened down for now, because the the day flew fast. Link traveled into the wee hours of the morning, eventually traveling south to Gerudo Town, promptly passing out after a massage the Gerudo Innkeeper had given him. It took some convincing from Urbosa and Mipha, but Link eventually relented, feeling the affects of lack of sleep. It left the Champions and their respective ancestors to themselves. A Blood Moon gradually passed through the sky, the wisps of Malice beginning to kick up. Its shine felt like a mockery of the actual moon that he knew too well.

Although the Blight was gone, it didn't make him feel any better. They watch it rise into the sky, eerily shining from above. He was fortunate it only affected abandoned enemy campsites– they were in one of the most safest spots in the world. 

Unlike the other Sages, the one that accompanied him gave the least information. Mipha had Princess Ruto with her, Daruk had Darunia, while Urbosa was accompanied by Nabooru. Him? The girl had never given him her name when she appeared after the Blight was banished back to Hyrule Castle. It was like pulling teeth, much to his chagrin. Revali is pulled out of his thoughts upon hearing the plucking of string that soon forms a melody.  

It's a captivating aria, a clear contrast of the bird songs that he vaguely recalls from the birds that danced about Hebra's Mountains. For whatever reason, it reminds him of the songs the Hylians would craft of the sea from 100 years ago. Link and Zelda had taken him to Lurelin Village once on a survey, something something about a rumor and they needed  _his help._ Revali gains altitude, and now flies around the Medoh. The left wing is empty, and he's soon drawn to the right. There, on one of Medoh's feathers sits the Rito Sage, plucking away at the strings in quick succession. When he lands next to her, the song gently echoes out, carried by the wind. 

Just before she finished, he noticed a shimmering light surround Medoh. It dissipated upon the aria reaching its crescendo. 

"Revali," Her eyes open, while her tone is apologetic. "I'm sorry, but did I wake you?"

He scoffs, with a roll of his eyes, "Ghosts don't sleep, I'm afraid. Our Hero's got it pretty good right now."

That earned him a laugh; she was so stiff, he's glad she's loosening up. 

"If only I knew a song about sleep," She said, "perhaps we'd both get some shut eye."

"The song you played before had magical properties?" Revali asked; that appeared to confirm his suspicions.

"It's a repellant toward evil," She replies matter of factually, there's a gleam of pride in her eyes.  _There it is,_ they burn passionately. "When I play, I begin to pray– it was the song that helped the Master Sword regain some of its strength. It's called the Earth God's Lyric. I worked in tandem with the Wind Sage, Makar, who was a Korok–"

"Is that what you were doing before?"

She glances away, now placing her harp onto her lap. "To be honest, the Blood Moon scares me... who knows if the Malice can infect spirits too? I wanted to pray for our protection, just in case."

 _She's a kind girl, like Mipha_ , Revali thinks to himself while he stares. "What were you before a Sage?"

"An attendant to our Prince," She replies, recalling him fondly. "I served him, and his Father, the chieftain and Lord Valoo before awakening to my destiny."

Revali falls silent. Destiny, huh? From what he observed, she didn't have any aspirations for herself, Rito traditions appeared to be different in her time. "And you were content with the supporting role?"

"But of course, I wanted to do everything I could to help." Her smile is blinding, there is no hesitation. "You know, there is no shame in support. When we went to the Earth Temple, I helped my friend Link out inside. Without depending on one another, he never would gotten to defeat the evil that killed Lady Laruto." 

It appeared she was on good terms with the hero of her time. Secretly, he wonders what the kid's like, was he anything like their Link? Originally silent, quiet, observant and dutiful before he died? Revali nods to her explanation. Her willingness to cooperate  _almost_ puts him to shame, he'd never think that he'd work together with Link like that. Before he died, before he winged his fight with the Blight he'd scoff at the notion of cooperating with those below him. But he's changed, perhaps for the better. Now Revali's lowered himself at the same standard as the other, because they  _had_ to work together. Fighting alone could only do much. 

"Sounds like quite the adventure." Revali replies, with a nod. She mentioned something else, _Korok_? So they _actually_ existed? He recalls Link mentioned them time to time before the Calamity struck, but he laughed at him, calling him childish. While he'll never admit to it, Revali's conscience weighs heavy, digging his own grave about all the shitty things he's said. 

“You know.... you keep giving me names yet won’t tell me yours.” Revalli piped up, his eyes narrow. She appeared _too contented_ with the supporting role, he wanted to change that. “Your name is  _Medoh_ , right?”

Oh, he appeared confident in his answer. His predecessor stares at him, her mouth grows into a smile, amusement twinkling in her eyes. She's kind... _too kind._  His own confidence falls, there's a pit in his stomach; somehow he knew his pride was at risk. Wait, never mind– the Divine Beasts' names weren't the name of the Sages they were named after.  _Good job bird brain._

“Close, but no, my name is Medli.” She gestures to herself, dipping her head down, cheeks burning red with embarrassment. “I'm sorry, I was unaware the others had given their names to the other champions.” 

 _Scatterbrained too, almost._ Revali also notes, but finds himself chuckling. Looks like he wasn't the only one who made a blunder. 

With a flourish of his wing, he dismissive her. "Not everyone is perfect–"

"Like you?" Medli quips, giggling.

"Yes, including me, I wanted to ease your embarrassment that we  _both_ messed up." He huffs a bit, feathers puffing up again. 

"Thank you," She replies, sounding small. "If there's anything I can do for you, know, Revali, you can rely on me."

"I appreciate it, the same is extended to you. Medli."

He makes a come hither motion, then takes to the sky. She follows after him, and they fly back to Medoh's head, circling the top and land gracefully. 

Revali's beak opens up, looking akin to a grin, "Not bad." 

"How graceful," Medli comments now dusting off her dress, "no wonder why you were the Rito Champion; I'm glad we'll be able to work together."

"Indeed, but you were shining too," Revali replies with a nod, "also, Medli–"

"Yes?"

"We do not speak of the blunders made tonight," Revali said. "Yesterday already left me exhausted."

She smiles earnestly, causing him to mirror it. "You have my word."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The 'Curious, are you not' line has the same tone as Revali's introduction to Link from his memory. But perhaps a bit softer haha. We have three champions left, but I'm glad for all the support guys! I may do some more with these relationships and make more fics with them in the future.


	4. Brewing Concerns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Urbosa and Nabooru get to discuss how much change has happened; Link begins to have some doubts.

“I can’t believe this kid, are you sure he’s the hero of Hyrule?” Nabooru laughs, wiping the tears from her eyes.

In all honesty, Urbosa didn’t want to believe it either. But the hollering from the other Champions prompted her to pry through Link’s eyes and be astonished by the sight. A whole forest? _Gone_. What replaced it? A field of fire and a disintegrating Lynel unlucky enough to get in the path. She sees in the distance a tree log still flying through the air, then barrel through a Guardian Stalker not too far away. It skittishly runs about, until it explodes, parts flying through the sky.

Urbosa however dutifully dictated what occurred to the Gerudo legend with a straight face. Nabooru in contrasts snickers in response.

“He’s without a doubt the Hylian Champion.” Urbosa stifles a chuckle of her own, “he’s become far more reckless than before.”

“Link! What in Din’s name are you doing?!” Revali shouts, getting the other Champions focus again.

Their shared perception seemed to be spinning, going round and round, blurring into a sea of colors. Urbosa feels queasy and almost closes her mental connection with the Hylian but she braves it to see the outcome. The familiar melodic hum from the Sheikah Slate tickles her ears but it’s overwhelmed by the constant metallic clang against the wood. Eventually the world become still and she watches Link’s legs climb onto the tree and soon the beeping sounds becomes louder and louder-

 _Crash!_ Link and the tree were shot like an arrow, projected right into the heart of an enemy camp. With his quick thinking, Link uses the momentum to whip out his bow and aim at a Boblokin, causing him to be shot up into the air. The impact of the tree detonates the bombs, ravishing the grassy plains with fire, adding to Link’s updraft. With half of the enemies fried, only the stronger Moblins remain. Link swings his axe into the Earth, slamming into one of black ones. Once he recovers, Link side steps away from an arrow shot from above. There were two more enemies in the camp and they were sturdy. He switches weapons, and he’s armed with a golden claymore.

He swings, and swings and swings. There’s urgency pulling at Urbosa’s soul and she heeds the command, at his side, wating on deck to assist. The blade slices through his enemies and when he comes to a stop, Link snaps his fingers and Urbosa’s fury rains upon his enemies that dissolve into a dark purple mist.

“Is it over?” Ruto’s inquires calls over their connection. “Sound can only give you _so_ much information.”

“Indeed...” Mipha’s voice quietly replies,  “Link, are you alright?”

“His wounds aren’t grevious,” Urbosa pipes up, she just returned to Naboris. “checked before I left, it’s just a few minor scratches.”

“Mipha, I’m okay-“ Link protests, but immediately cut off. 

“Says the man who just burnt down s forest and used a tree as a projectile to make himself a Hylian bomb.” Revali chides, irritation oozing from his voice. “ What the hell’s wrong with you?! If Mipha wasn’t ready in case you blew up then we’d be doomed!”

Instead of replying, Link makes his way to the cooking pot and stands in front of it. He removes several ingredients and plops them inside. Revali’s about to start again, but Ruto’s giggles interrupt his rant.

“Looks like you got Ghosted, huh!” Ruto giggles over their line, “no need to get your feathers in a bunch, Revali. Dear Mipha’s told me you had a rivalry with him, but could it be that you actually car-“

“Why you—!”

“Ah, _ah_ , kids, this is going nowhere fast. Thank the Goddesses he’s alive.” Urbosa intervenes, clicking her tongue. 

Medli sighs lightly. “At least he wasn’t shot out from a ship cannon.”

"Are ya sure your Hero wasn't traumatized!?" Darunia wheezes.

Medli’s comment caused an uproar, becoming a welcome distraction. Link sighs with relief for the interjection, returning to cooking. He removes his slate from his hip and thumbs through the screens, searching for his noted recipes and sets it aside as a reminder. The champions appeared to guffaw over Medli’s tale, with the occasional hoot and hollering from the Gorons. 

Urbsosa takes note of the hero’s silence, watching as the smoke from the cooking food raise high into the sky above the horizon. The others appeared to be engaged in conversation, not paying attention to Link and allowing him peace of mind (for now). He remains quiet in his task, cooking his meals to eat later. He mindlessly stirs the ladle he’s found for his soup, turning the vegetables inside. One after the other, over the next hour, new meals are transferred into the Sheikah Slate, digitizing them into storage. 

Once satisfied with quantity, he takes one last look at the setting sun, then stares at the fire. His vision blurs, his body relaxes, the hero’s mind claimed by weariness. Urbosa takes a moment to pull out from his conscious, allowing him the space he needs. By doing so, she closes the connection from the low droning conversations from the others, thus giving herself space too. 

When she returns to, Nabooru gives her a look. 

“Kid asleep?” She asks, raising a brow. 

“Mmhm, more so zoning out than sleeping. The last thing I remember him thinking about was getting ready at dawn.” Urbosa sighs. 

“I can go watch over him.” Nabooru offers, picking herself up from the ground. “gotta make sure our little hero’s safe and sound.”

“ _Sarqso_.” Urbosa smiles, watching as the sun is eclipsed, allowing for the moon to emerge. She watches as the Gerudo legend disappear in green flames. 

* * *

 Nabooru returns at daybreak when Link awakens from his daze. She emerges when the sun peeks over Death Mountain, green wisps causing her skin to glow. Urbosa glances over to her in acknowledgement, taking a step forward. 

“ _Sav’otta,_ Lady Nabooru,” Urbosa greets, “how did he sleep?”

“All throughout the night,” Nabooru replies with a ghost of a smile. “Though, we almost had a problem.”

“Which was?” Urbosa’s eyes narrow.

“A pesky Lizalfros tried to sneak up on him. Luckily I killed it before it snuck up too close.” Nabooru explains, who watches Urbosa give her a look. “What? We Sages are armed with weapons as well, damn lizard didn’t see anything coming.”

Urbosa’s brows furrow. “How many?”

“Three,” Nabooru doesn’t miss a beat, “but they were surprised upon seeing a little of magic.”

Upon saying those words, Nabooru snaps her fingers and a figure emerges. Clad in Silver and Orange Armor, a knight appears armed with what appears a Halberd. Urbosa remains silent while watching the summoning become fully fleshed out compared to its Master’s transparent form.

“Documents recovered from eons ago took note of what happened to you in the Spirit Temple.” Urbosa replies, eyeing the Knight suspiciously. “That was, until the Hero of Time saved you from a spell from Twinrova. This is an Iron Knuckle, correct?”

“Indeed, those twin witches used me to further their own ambitions to help that accursed man.” The Spirit Sage shakes her head, “but since awakening as the Sage, I was able to … reclaim this armor before being transferred to this period. The sword spirit who called out to us in the sacred realm urged us to be well prepared before being brought to aid you all.”

“Is that so…I thank you deeply, Lady Nabooru.” Urbosa replies, now approaching the armor. There’s holy energy emitting from its frame, she stares hard at it until she glances over to her. “Don’t tell me you go inside-”

“Of course not,” Nabooru scoffs, waving her hand dismissively. “I’ve coordinated it with magic to ensure we work as a team.” She summons forth a Gerudo spear in her hands. “ As I said, we’ve come well prepared to help you in case Ganon decides to try anything while Link’s doing whatever.”

“I appreciate you’ll watch my back then!” Urbosa laughs, now crossing her arms over her chest. “We will not fail.”

“Heh! That’s a promise!” Nabooru grins, flashing her a smile. 

Urbosa feels that tugging sensation in her soul again, then winks toward Nabooru. “Duty calls.”

“Fry them good, Urbosa.” Nabooru cheers. 

When Urbosa’s fury rains down upon a Lynel, it collapses into slimy puddle of Malice before evaporating away.

* * *

 The rest of the day flies by fast, the sun quietly nods off to sleep underneath the horizon. After evading and throwing off some Yiga clan members, Link jumps forth and uses his paraglider to land atop the resting spot of a broken statue, hidden away from prying eyes. On his way over, Link took some photos of a large axe that looked clearly out of place and marked it on his Sheikah Slate for later inspection. 

Now with careful angling of the camera, along with the right amount of lighting he snaps a photo at the face of the statue buried into the mountain. Looking at the photo now, a smile of satisfaction lines the hero’s lips and he prepares to return to Gerudo Town. Link’s body glows, dissipating into particles. 

He arrives near the entrance of the town no later, and gets to changing his clothes. Not much later, Link bids the guards a quiet _sav’saaba_ and enters into the sleepy quiet town in disguise. After greeting the Innkeeper, he pays her his usual and goes to prepare for that massage. His mind’s become quieter lately, he isn’t exactly sure what the other Champions are up to. 

Before, their voices would constantly be chattering at the back of his mind. But since the appearance of the past Sages, there appeared to be a change of pace. Namely when and how many would jump into conversation, or the awareness he’d have to their conversations. Sometimes their voices would blink out of existence, becoming akin to static until he no longer hear them and then hours later they’d reappear while he was thrown into a skirmish. 

Link felt a twinge of envy; he really didn’t think about it before. A petty feeling that burned at the back of his throat, ceasing him from talking with them consciously. He’s been making more of an effort to maintain a sense of privacy between them and it seemed to be working. 

 _Will one of my ancestors come to me? Perhaps to mock me, I’m a failure after all._ Link bites his lip, then sees the silhouette of the Innkeeper come in. He exhales a relaxed sigh, when her hands get to work. His eyes grow heavy and Link falls asleep.  

* * *

Urbosa’s eyes blink open. Link's just fell fast asleep after the relaxing massage from the Gerudo Innkeeper, causing her connection to his body to sever for the night. Although, for some reason, she's been unable to gain access to his thoughts for a few hours now, she decides to leave to discuss it in the morning. Besides, she knows he'll be in safe hands, thus allows him time to himself. At the same time, Nabooru materializes back into existence like a few days ago, now approaching the Gerudo Champion. 

" _Vasaaq_ ," Urbosa waves over to her. "What did you think?"

"Much different from before," Nabooru gaze lingers toward Gerudo Town, so tiny in comparison; it appeared to be almost consumed by the desert. " We've moved far from the mountain ranges... and acquired a water source, right atop an oasis."

"Indeed, it had been a handful of generations prior to mine," Urbosa admits with a laugh. "We've also opened up to the other races. The voe aren't allowed, aside from the Kara Kara Bazaar but... the other vai are." 

"I can see that!" Nabooru grins toward her. "Can't believe he's done it again, but this time with style. That kid's got guts to break our Law."

"At least he's obeying the Law," Urbosa chuckles, "100 years ago, I helped him get away with it too."

Nabooru gives her a look, scrutinizing her for a moment. "You what!?"

"Well, the Princess abused them to get away from him." Urbosa goes to explain, recalling the memory vividly. "They weren't getting along at the time, so I tried to find ways to bring them together."

"Ah so he got the easy way in." Nabooru raises a brow, "but I'm pleased to know I had some good influence."

"Oh do not undermine yourself, Lady Nabooru," Urbosa tsks, with a shake of her head. "You've actions were quite influential to our tribe, much of our Laws were because of you."

Nabooru looks a little embarrassed, but puffs up her chest, proud. "Hmph. Well I'm glad. Your little hero trials appear to be much different from ours."

Urbosa's face scrunches up a bit. "Indeed, I cannot wait till he proves that Hylian voe wrong that's been loitering outside the village."

"He appears to have the snark for it." Nabooru chuckles, " Ours I don't think would've been as tactful, you know- thinking outside the box like this. He just barged into our Fortress, from what I was told, but he had the balls to sneak around and rescue those carpenters."

"Ah yes, I remembered from the stories he earned respect from one of the upper heads." Urbosa recalls fondly, "must be in the Hero's blood to cause trouble."

"Apparently," Nabooru agrees with a snort. 

They continue discussing Gerudo town, from the shops to the many people Urbosa had gotten to know over her lifetime prior to her death. How many children she watched grow, how many battles and duals she's waged, and much more. Nabooru watched over her fondly, with a smile, as she recounted the time spent with the Princess's mother. The former Chieften urged for Nabooru to talk about her own life as well: her life as a thief, as a rebel, a puppet and then finally a sage. It was a topsy-turvey life, but Nabooru managed to keep it together. Eventually their conversation grew dark, while they overlooked where Hyrule Castle laid, overtaken by shadow and Malice.

"You knew the bastard, didn't you?"

"Sure did, I'm sure an aspect of that pig's apart of that...  _that thing_ now." Nabooru wrinkles her nose in disgust. "His reputation gave us a bad rap, but you know, he originally wasn't like that. But all that attention and power soon went to his head. I couldn't of given a shit about him, we were different kind of thieves. But him.... oh... every single Gerudo laid at his beck and call and damn did it sicken me."

This gives Urbosa another perspective, but it doesn't sway her from her original purpose. Political tension and relations during her ancestor's time were much different from now, where the tribes had some semblance of unity. 

"I hope Link'll be able to kill it for good now." Nabooru's voice is frigid like ice, "We no longer need a blight like that bringing ruin to this world. All this sorrow and strife should not go on any further."

"I concur," Urbosa nods with a frown. "These children have been through an awful lot."

Nabooru looks back toward her, with a sympathetic smile. "Yes, I'm sure he- he's feels guilty about not being like the Hero of Legend."

"No one's exactly the same person," Urbosa replies, "I've had to tell the Princess that numerous times. Unfortunately her Father tried to mold her into how her ancestors were though."

"I call bull shit to that, because the same's happened to me to some of the other thieves of my time." Nabooru barks out a bitter laugh, but grins. "But look where I got! These kids'll be ten times better than ours. I mean, hell, ours only did it for seven years, while yours for a 100. She shouldn't sell herself short."

"You tell her that then." Urbosa stares at the castle, her Zelda, inprisoned with that  _demon– awaiting,_ hoping, praying for Link's return. 

"I sure will," Nabooru wears a wicked grin. "And I gotta give the kid props too for coming back, takes some real resilience to do that kinda thing." She turns toward the Champion, lips line into a frown. " Speaking of the kid, hasn't he been a little too quietly lately?"

"Well he's asleep now." Urbosa says matter of factually, which Nabooru rolls her eyes to. "But yes... I have noticed, but I'm sure he's been trying to focus. He's been going to a lot of shrines lately, visiting the Goddess statues to get his strength returned to him."

"Hmm.... all right." Nabooru glances back to Gerudo Town, the sun's rays already slowly sneaking up on it. "There's something about him that's been bothering me, in a soul sense."

"What is it?" Urbosa inquires, brows raised in interest.

"There's something else attached to him, other than your soul signatures. But it's been... dormant." Nabooru concludes with a shrug, "I felt it when I watched over him during the night."

Urbosa rubs at her chin, humming out a thoughtful sound. " Well... let's wait and see how long this goes. Perhaps monitor him with the other Sages, are you able to communicate with the other Sages without him hearing?"

"All but the Rito child, for some reason." Nabooru replies with a shake of her head. "Not sure why, but I'll report back to them too."

"I appreciate it Lady Nabooru," Urbosa replies with a smile, "I wouldn't want anything to happen to him."

Urbosa becomes aware that Link's awoken. The other Champions appear to have noticed too, and are attempting talk with him. It appeared that Link had some plans for the day, but there's a shift in conversation that causes for Urbosa's brow to furrow. 

 _I'm sorry all, I'll be traveling alone for awhile._ Then Link's voice and signature fizzes out. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay! Of course, un-beta'd and also I started rewatching Hyrule Warriors videos and remember how much I wanted to see Nabooru playable in it. Alas, I didn't get that, but I'd imagine she'd have a similar play style like Zelda from Spirit Tracks? Kinda but not. 
> 
> The beginning of the chapter was partially inspired by a BoTW Speedrun I saw and I absolutely lost it. [Here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvVG0_0jzjk) it is if you want to view it (: Have fun, we have two more Champions Left! I'm also in the works of some short fics inspired by this to make into a series, yay!


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